Blasting shell or sheet



R. L. BOWMAN. BLASTING SHELL 0R SHEET.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-20.1921.

Patented Oct.v 10, 1922.

INVENTUR R ll Bowman,

AfTOR/VEYS WITNESSES a citizen of the and easy and construction, of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and Patented Oct. 10," 1922.

UNKE

ROBERT LEE BOWMAN, or KNOXVILLE,

TENNESSEE.

BLASTIN SHELL OR SHEET.

Application filed January 20, 1921.

To allwlwmz't may concem:

Be it known that I, ROBERT LEE BOWMAN, United States, and a resident of Knoxville, in the county of Knox and State of- Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvement in Blasting Shells or Sheets, of which the following is a specification. Y

The present invention relates to a blasting sheet or shell adapted for use in the coal m1nes, rock quarries,or other places where blasting is carried on. D

The object of the invention is to provide an improved blasting sheet or shell of this character which is available to the miner or other person carrying on the operation as a complete and ready made capacity whereby it may be adapted to various sized holes and which is so constructed and organizedthat a considerable length of the shell occupies but a small amount of space and being thus compact and flexible may be carried by the operator without discomfort.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which is endowed with features of expansibility, and which is of simple and durable construction, reliable in operation inexpensive to manufacture. Other objects and advantages of the invention reside in certain novel features of combination and arrangement particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a length of shell unfolded;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary View in plan of a portion of the shell unfolded;

Figure 3 is a similar folded longitudinally to intermediate capacity;

Figure 4 is a similar folded longitudinally minimum capacity;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional View on view of a portion give the shell an view of the shell to give the shell its line 5-5 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the shell folded.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates generally a sheet of paper or other flexible material which is formed to constitute the shell. The sheet may be formed to constitute the shell in any suitable manner shell when de- Serial No. 438,703.

and preferably has its meeting longitudinal edges overlapped and secured together in any suitable manner, as at 11 in Figure 5. The shell is thus formed as an elongated tube which however is normally flat, as shown in Figure 1.

An expansion fold 12 is provided at the longitudinal marginal edge of the tube opposite the overlapping edges 11 and this expansion fold is formed by doubling over this portion ofthe tube upon itself and by so operating upon the material which constitutes the tube that this doubled back longitudinal edge or expansion fold will be a permanent feature of the construction thereof. In this way the tube possesses resiliency and abnormal or excessive internal pressure but as soon as these pressures diminish the tube will resume its normal capacity as the expansion fold will at once assume its normal position, as shown in Figure 1.

The tube is also formed with longitudinal creases or lines of fold, as indicated at 13 and 14 in Figures 1 and 2. When the tube is folded over on one or both of these lines its capacity is correspondingly diminished and the tube is thus enabled to be utilized with holes or bores of various sizes.

An important feature of the invention resides in the construction provided, for enabling a tube of considerable length to be folded in a compact space and to be susceptible of being broken down into several portions of desired length. To accomplish this purpose and to carry out this feature, the sheet or tube is provided with a plurality of transversely extending creases or transverse lines of fold, designated at 15. These transverse lines of fold or creases extend through that portion of the sheet which goes to make up the expansion fold and the overlapped ends and in fact extends throughout the entire sheet. These folds divide the sheet up into a plurality of sections designated at 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 2l,respectively, and it is obvious that'these sections may be interfolded, as shown in Figure 6, to present a compact form of shell. The creases 15 are spaced at predetermined and definite intervals apart so that they afford a means of determining the length of the shell and they also provide lines along which the shell may be severed into its several sections, thus permitting the miner to obtain a large number of shells from a single length. As the sections are defiwill expand under the action of without inconvenience,

does not require formation upon amandrel,

soaping or the like and by simply severing the shell or sheet along one of the lines 15 the precise size'of shell desired may be obtained.

When the shell is in use in the hole or bore to be blasted, this accurate length together with the expansion fold. and the correspondence in cross section attained by longitudinally folding the gives to the shell a high degree of efliciency with respect to blasting power and makes it highly safe to use as the explosive charge is properly confined and ascertained in amount and is completely consumed by the explosion. Moreover a considerable length of theshellmay be carried by the miner for. when the shell is folded as shown in Figure 6 it may be carried with comfort in any pocket or the like, it being remembered that the material which constitutes the shell is flexible.

I claim:

1. A blasting shell comprising a sheet having its, longitudinal meeting edges secured together and having a plurality of transverse creases or lines of fold provided at spaced and predetermined interyals along the length of the shell, said shell being foldedon said creases orlines of fold whereby considerable length of shell may be made to.

assume a compact form and whereby the shell may be disassociated into several shells of smaller capacity. y y

p 2. A blasting shell comprising a sheet having its longitudinal meeting edges secured togetherand having a plurality of trans verse creases or lines of fold provided at spaced and predetermined intervals and extending from side to side of said tube, said shell having an expansion fold extending shell on lines 13 or 14 or both lengt longitudinally thereof. at a point opposite vals along the length thereof, said shell be-'.

ing divided into a plurality of sections by said transverse creases and said sections being folded one on the other on said transverse lines of fold.

4. A blasting'shell comprising a. sheet having transverse creases or lines of fold, an expansion fold, and longitudinal creases or lines of fold, all as and for the purposes set forth. 7' w 5. A blasting shell comprising a sheet formed to constitute an elongated tube and having lines of fold provided at spaced and predetermined intervals along the length of the shell, said shellbeing folded on said creases or lines of fold whereby considerable length of shell may be made to assume a compact form and whereby the shell may be disassociated into several shells of smaller capacity.

6. A flat blasting tube folded upon itself 7. A flat blasting out its length in diametrical reversely folded upon itself, the folds and the walls thereof being in contact and the folds being of uniform and predetermined length to serve as guide means when severing a portion of the tube to obtain a shell of required length. I

' ROBERT BOWMAN.

tube variable througha plurality of transverse creases or,

extent and 

